House Church Eucharistic Liturgy and Anointing of the Sick for Rita Campbell for upcoming Surgery in San Diego, California, Co-Presiders Betty Denny and Bridget Mary Meehan ARCWP

GATHERING SONG:

This Little Light of Mine

  GREETING

Presider:  In the name of God, our Creator and of Jesus our brother and of the Holy Spirit, our wisdom.  ALL:  Amen.

Presider:  We gather at the table to share the compassionate presence of God, aware that salvation is always and already happening, as we feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, clothe the naked, shelter the homeless and assist the dying.

ALL:  The love of God loves through us as we comfort the troubled and confront injustices in the most practical and immediate ways.

PENITENTIAL RITE

Presider:  O God, may we see your face in all who are demonized so that the bullying and hate will stop. ALL:  May we open our hearts, like Mary, to God’s mothering love, affirming fullness of life for all.  

Presider:  Jesus the Christ, may we see the divine reality in victims, especially in all who suffer violence, and discrimination..

ALL:  May we, like Mary, champion the oppressed and protect the abused.

Presider:  O Wisdom Sophia, may we see your face in people who are hungry and homeless, anxious and stressed.

ALL:  May we, like Jesus, care for those in need.

Presider: God of love we ask our sisters and brothers to forgive our failures to serve them in works of mercy. May we be your ongoing caring presence in the world.

ALL: Amen.

ALL:  Glory to God, glory, O praise God alleluia, glory to God, glory, O praise the name of our God, 3x (sung)

Presider:  Loving God, we give thanks for your infinite love and tender compassion always at work in our world.  We cry out today for justice for all who are impoverished and marginalized. May we work for their liberation and do all we can to advance their well-being.  ALL: Amen. 

LITURGY OF THE WORD

First Reading:Isaiah: 55-6-9

Responsorial Psalm: The Healing Song (Karen Drucker

Second Reading:  Philipians 1:20-24,27 Acclamation:  ALLELUIA!    (sung)

Reader:  A reading from the Gospel according to Matthew 20:1-16
Glory to you, O God.

Reader:  The good news of Jesus, the Christ!

ALL:  Glory and praise to you, Jesus the Christ!

HOMILY Starter: Bridget Mary

Homily Starter:

“Thus, the last shall be first and the first shall be last.” This Gospel is about the extravagant love of the Holy One for all. No matter who we are, where we come from, or what special needs or gifts we bring to the table. God’s love embraces and loves each one of us tenderly and compassionately with the fullness of life and love. In this parable, Jesus turned everything upside down according to our human logic and standards. At the end of the day, each receives what they need.

So, do we!

 Theologian Francine Cardman in her reflection on this gospel writes:

“At the heart of the parable is the question:

What is God like? What happens when God reigns?”

The disciples can imagine a kingdom but along the lines of empire and exclusion, power and prestige. But, God’s hands are not tied to our narrow calculus of justice, God’s mercy is not bounded by the limitations of our compassion. In God’s reign everyone works as their circumstances allow, everyone receives what they need. All are welcome and cared for, all live equally from the generosity of God. And all deserve to share in God’s goodness now. In the world that is the work of human hands, in the community of life that encompasses and supports us all.”

So let us ponder the question, what would happen if we were to live the inclusive, welcoming love for everyone  in our church and world today?

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Sharing of Community

Profession of Faith:   ALL:  We believe in God who is creator and nurturer of all. We believe in Jesus, the Christ, who is our love, our hope, and our light. We believe in the Holy Spirit, the breath of Wisdom Sophia, who energizes and guides us to build caring communities and to challenge exploitation and injustices.  We believe that God loves us passionately and forgives us everything.  We believe that God calls us to be the saving presence of the Holy One in the world . We believe that we are called to love those in need in the most practical ways. We believe that all are one in the Heart of God.  We believe in the communion of saints our heavenly friends, who support us on life’s journey. Here we dwell in loving relationships.  Here we live our prophetic call of Gospel compassion.

GENERAL INTERCESSIONS

Presider:  Aware that God, like a fierce mother bear, who protects her young, is a defender of the oppressed and pursuer of justice, we now bring the needs of the suffering, in our church and world, before you. Response:  Loving God, you hear our prayer.

Presider:  For those who have been rejected and demonized, we pray for acceptance and fullness of life. R.   Presider:  For the hungry and homeless, we pray for food and shelter. R. Presider:  For those who experience loneliness, we pray for caring friends. Other intentions

R.   Presider O Holy One we walk  in faith that nothing is impossible and we can care for others in need through the power of your Spirit working in us.   ALL: Amen

PREPARATION OF THE GIFTS

Presider:  Blessed are you, O God, Creator of all.  Through your divine providence we have this bread to offer, it will become for us the Bread of Life.   ALL:  Blessed be God forever.  

Presider:  Blessed are you, O God, Creator of all.  Through your divine providence we have this wine to offer, it will become our spiritual drink. 

ALL:  Blessed be God forever.

Presider: Divine Presence, we are united in this sacrament by the love of Jesus Christ in communion with all who live as the saving presence of God in our world ALL:  Amen.

Presider:  God dwells in you.  ALL:  And also works through you.  Presider:  Lift up your hearts and love deeply    ALL:  We lift them up to God.   Presider: Let us give thanks to the Creator of all.   ALL: It is our joy to give God thanks and praise.

EUCHARISTIC PRAYER

Voice:  Holy One, it is right that we give you thanks and praise at this table of boundless compassion. Your empowering presence is revealed in the friendship meals where Jesus dined with tax collectors, lepers, sinners, and women.  All are accepted, loved and forgiven. In joyful thanksgiving for your extravagant affection to all of us, we join with the angels and saints in an unending hymn of praise:

ALL: (sing) We are holy, holy, holy   (Music by Karen Drucker)

Voice:: Jesus taught his disciples how to love with a compassionate heart. Healing Spirit, we trust that your love flows through us as we feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, clothe the naked, shelter the homeless, visit the sick and imprisoned, and assist the dying.

ALL:  As we come together in memory, Jesus we pray that Your Spirit will come upon these gifts of bread and wine and upon us, that we may become the body and blood of Christ blessed, broken and shared.  (pause as bread is lifted)

ALL:  We remember how, on the night before he died, Jesus was at table with those he loved.  He took bread and blessed you, God of all creation. He broke the bread shared it with his friends and said, “Take this, all of you and eat. This is my body. Do this in memory of

me. “(pause as wine is lifted)

Presider:  Then Jesus took the cup of blessing, spoke the grace, and offered them the wine: 

ALL:  “Take this all of you and drink. Do this in memory of me.”

MEMORIAL ACCLAMATION

ALL:  The Body of Christ is blessed, broken and shared every time we comfort the troubled.

The Body of Christ is blessed, broken and shared every time we counsel the confused.

The Body of Christ is blessed, broken and shared every time we advocate for justice.

Voice:  Heart of Love, we celebrate this feast in memory of Jesus, our brother, who reminds us that we are the face of God, through whom the Spirit redeems injustice by caring for our sisters and brothers in our world today.

 Voice: Creator of the Universe, your love flows through all beings to heal our earth.  As we work for environmental  healing, your sacred energy transforms the cosmic Body of Christ.  

Voice:  Energizing Spirit, we are one with the cloud of witnesses who have lived your works of mercy during their lives.  As we serve human needs with generous hearts, we are channels of your tender compassion.

ALL:  Through Christ, with Christ and in Christ,  All glory and honor is yours, loving God forever and ever.

Great Amen.

We pray with Jesus:   Our Father and Mother….

Sign of Peace

Let us offer one another a sign of peace

Salaam Aleikum/ Peace Be With You

LITANY OF THE BREAKING OF BREAD

Presider:  Loving God, we will serve the least and the last in our world,     ALL:  Namaste

Presider: Loving God, we will care for our sisters and brothers who need our help. ALL:  Namaste

Presider: Loving God, we will

advocate for non-violence and a more just world.

All: Namaste

COMMUNION

Presider: There is room at the table for everyone.  Let us share the Body of Christ with the Body of Christ.

Communion Song

Peace is flowing like a river by Carey Laundry

PRAYER AFTER COMMUNION

Presider:  Nourished at this open table where all are welcome, may we live the saving presence of God by doing works of mercy. Go, now and live the Gospel of Jesus!!

 Anointing of the Sick

Blessed are you, Loving God,

The boundless love of your presence blesses us

at every moment of our lives.

May your compassion radiate from each of us

and bring the blessing of your tender touch to Rita.

Rita,, the same Spirit that moved in Jesus,

dwells in you and fills you with love and peace beyond

all imagination. All of your loved ones in this community and

in the Communion of the  Saints join us in prayer.

In their name and in the name of God I/we now anoint you

for your journey. (anoint forehead and hands)

Rita, you are embraced by the Holy One

and by all who are praying for you.

May you feel the power of divine love

healing, comforting and strengthening you.

In the name of God, our Creator, Jesus our brother and the

Holy Spirit, our Wisdom. Amen

(This Rite was updated fby Bridget Mary Meehan)

  

FINAL BLESSING

We love, bless and serve one another in the name of God, our Creator, Jesus our brother, and the Holy Spirit, our Wisdom.

Closing Song: River of Jordan

--> Bridget Mary Meehan, www.arcwp.org -->